“Give me back that blasted key!” Peter’s voice was filled with heated rage, but his words made me grow cold.
Key? He couldn’t have…
Intently, I listened for any sign of Thomas’s voice but heard nothing. Had he been killed? What about Fredrick? The assassin couldn’t possibly have found the key, could he?
The intensity of the situation became too much for me. I felt overwhelmed with fever and terror. The pounding in my head pulsed throughout my whole body as the heat and adrenaline dragged me into unconsciousness. As my vision began to fade, I heard the clang of metal hitting the ground, followed by an agonizing yell of pain. I was too senseless to conclude whose voice it was. Blackness enveloped me as the key clicked into the lock, and the top of the bench lifted. The last thing I saw was a hand reaching toward me as the last of the light disappeared.
chapter fourteen
Heat swallowed me in my sleep. My body burned from the inside out with unforgiving fever. My mind remained in sleep, though I could vaguely make out voices around me. When my eyes finally began to strain open, I recognized the figure of a tall, dark-haired man sitting at my bedside. Rapidly, I blinked to clear my vision and discovered that the man was, in fact, Peter. Seeing him alive alongside me caused relief to sweep over me as a tear of joy slid down my cheek, accompanied by a subtle inhale. The quiet sound was enough to turn the captain’s eyes toward my sickly form. His eyes lit up and he instantly grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly.
“You’re awake, thank heavens.” His voice was thick with worry while his expressive eyes showed so much fear and relief. “I found you unconscious in the carriage after the fight. You had such a high fever, I wasn’t sure you would wake up, but my magic managed to calm it enough to keep you with me.” His grip tightened and I noticed his eyes and hair were alight. He was healing me even now.
“Peter, what happened with the assassin?” My throat felt parched and cracked my voice. Peter quickly placed a glass of water into my free hand, and I sat up slowly to drink the cool liquid. It was delicious, and I drank the whole glass in one sitting. He took the empty cup from me and I finally noticed where I had been resting. I recognized the fabric walls and peaked roof of Peter’s tent. Meaning this must be his bed…
I blushed at the realization, causing Peter to touch my cheeks in search of more fever. I hoped that’s all he thought it was. He rested his hand back down and looked into my eyes before he answered my question. “We did it.” his tender smile showcased a glint of pride. “It took all three of us, and both Frederick and Thomas suffered a few injuries. But we caught him; he is in my custody.” He gave me a sweet laugh that crinkled up the corners of eyes. Excitement from accomplishment filled my heart, and I gave a soft laugh in return.
That was it. I was safe now. No more countdowns, no more murderous timelines.
“That’s amazing, Peter.” I wiped a stagnant tear from my eye. “I knew you could do it. Are Thomas and Frederick going to be alright?” I was unsure if I could handle the answer. Those men risked their lives to protect me and my kingdom. I desperately hoped they were alright.
“They’re a little beaten,” He dropped his gaze and his tone shifted slightly, revealing his dismay, “but they’ve been through worse. Fredrick took a pretty strong blow to the ribs and Thomas suffered a sword wound in his right leg, but they’re tough. I have already treated them in between healing you, and I’m certain they’ll be back on their feet in no time.” He cast me a reassuring look and I felt a little better.
“Thank goodness they’re alright.” I let out a held breath not realizing I had been holding it. “I don’t know if I could live with myself had they been severely injured.” Peter gave me a short laugh, then gently released my hand. The glow from his eyes and hair subsided.
“They are your soldiers, princess,” He shot me his signature grin with full amusement. “They would gladly lay their lives down for you, and they certainly wouldn’t want you to dwell on a few injuries they sustained from doing their duty.” His lightheartedness eased my worry, but I wasn’t going to apologize for valuing my soldiers’ lives. That was one thing that was going to be different between me and my father.
“Where is the assassin now?” I sat up a little straighter in bed. My curiosity urged me to get more involved. “Have you had a chance to question him at all?”
He stood up from his stool, crossing the space to fill my water glass from a full pitcher. “He is being detained at the north end of the compound.” He poured the glass full then returned it to my hands. “Thomas has had the honor of watching him for now, but he hasn’t said a word yet.” He sat with a frustrated thud.
I scrunched up my own face in annoyance at the information. “Maybe he will talk to me?” I shrugged. The remark earned me and instant look of disapproval from Peter. “If he is fully detained, then there shouldn’t be any risk in simply speaking with him. Plus, we need some form of confession if the plan is going to succeed.” I sipped my water innocently, trying to avoid the daggered glare he gave me. I knew he wouldn’t like the idea, but we didn’t have many options.
“The man is tricky,” He said cautiously, trying to avoid shutting me down directly. “He fights in a manner that highlights trickery and misdirection. I am certain his lying skill will possess similar training. He clearly isn’t an ordinary mercenary-for-hire.” I watched as his face contorted into deep thought and he stood to pace as he typically did. “But… I suppose there’s no use in keeping him locked up unless we can prove why. Very well, I shall let you speak with him under my supervision, of course.” Peter turned to me and I nearly jumped out of bed at his approval.
“Wonderful!” I started making my way out of the stiff bed, wiggling my toes to life before I placed them on the floor, but Peter stepped in front of me.
“Hold on just a moment.” He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at my attempt to rise. “You are in no condition to be moving around just yet. Your fever has been managed for the moment, but my magic is being repelled by another force. It’s just like the illness my men have been facing.” The distress in his voice mixed with his authoritative presence. I knew he was only worried, but I wasn’t ready to slow down yet.
“It’s alright, Peter.” I pushed past him and rose uneasily to my feet. “I have already taken a healing elixir that should stop the virus from growing any worse. I’m sure you’re correct to assume that resting would help me recover sooner, but I have too much to do to worry about that.” I located my boots and began to slip them onto my feet. My head still ached from all the movement, but Peter’s magic had taken most of the edge off. He looked me over, unconvinced of my self-assured health, but he must have decided it wasn’t worth the argument.
“Very well, princess,” he said in defeat. “Just promise that if you feel any worse, you will alert me. I can’t do much against this disease, but I can at least ease your symptoms enough to avoid further blackouts.”
I gave a nod of agreement, promising to keep tabs on my bodys’ needs. “Agreed.” I fetched my cloak from the familiar peg hammered into the cabinet. “Shall we be off, then? I don’t wish to worry the ladies at the mill for much longer. After all, they only believe I am out on a walk.” I felt energized from the healing magic coursing from my hand and wanted to get right to the point. Peter gave me a skeptical look at my new-found enthusiasm, but I pulled my hood up and kept walking. Sure enough, he followed right behind me, keeping me within his sights. Once outside, I realized I had no idea where I was going and had to wait up for Peter to step into the cold with me.
He gave me a knowing look at my lack of direction before leading me to a beautiful white stallion around the back of tent. We mounted the handsome creature together with Peter seated in front of me. In order not to fall, I firmly wrapped my arms around his torso. My face pressed close to his back, and I could smell his comforting scent of pine and sunshine. I tried to keep a little distance between our bodies during the short ride, but our steed wasn’t exactly the smoothest of mounts. The animal’s jostling drove me closer to him until I finally just gave up and held him as tight as I could. The ride only lasted a few minutes, taking us across the entire length of the outpost. A few sparse soldiers had glanced our way during the ride, but Peter seemed relatively unworried. My face was hidden under the hood of my cloak, and the major threat to my life was safely imprisoned. I noticed that there were far fewer soldiers about than there had been on my last visit, but then I remembered what Peter had said about their spreading illness. Sure enough, the medical tents we passed were flooded over with sickly men. I needed to tell Peter about the elixirs Mr. Dwarfer had found when this was over.
We were at a secluded portion of the camp when Peter finally pulled the stallion to a stop. Brush grew over the edges of the clearing, encompassing a small rounded tent. Wooden spikes lined the circumference of the fabric walls half buried in the dirt. Their sharp points were directed with sickly aim at the edges of the walls to perform a line of defense against any escapees. I shuddered at the thought of them being needed. Once we dismounted, Peter placed himself in front of me, clearly wanting to take the lead.
“Stay behind me,” he directed in a strong tone. “He is bound well, but I’m not taking any more risks today.” He remained frozen until I nodded in agreement, then proceeded forward.
Thomas stepped out with his sword in hand as we approached the tent. A bloodstained bandage was wrapped tightly around his right thigh, but his composure gave no impression that he was in pain. When he recognized the captain and me, he lowered his sword and gave a slight bow.
“At ease, Thomas,” Peter commanded. “We have come to see the prisoner. Has he said anything since my last check-in?” His voice sounded level and calm, yet I was beginning to recognize when he was holding out for hope.
“Well, he did say one word…” Thomas smirked while sheathing his weapon, “though I would rather not repeat such vulgarities in front of the lady.” He gave a light chuckle, receiving an annoyed look from Peter. “Oh, and I found this hidden on his person.” He handed the captain a crinkled-up letter. I watched over Peter’s shoulder as he traced his finger over the broken seal. It bore only a plain rectangle with few embellishments, not much clue to his employer. He opened the enveloped and I snuck a peak at the two words written in clear ink.
Request approved.